Assassin's Creed Chronicles: Egypt
by Rome D'Claire
Summary: Follow Tahira, a woman living in Ancient Egypt, caught in the war between the Assassin's and the Templars. She'll experience both blood and love like she never has before. Follow Ebony, the 21st century descendant Abstergo employee, caught in the same battle as her ancestor, but in a very different way. Assassin's Creed in Egypt. Romance and adventure. OCs
1. Chapter 1

**Ebony**

The storyteller. The link to our pasts. The Animus. Fascinating, profitable, never-ending. Dangerous. It's been called all of these things, and I think of it as such.

I'd read about it in the magazines…the newspapers. I remember when it first happened, the "revolutionary" machine that could drudge up people's ancestors and record their memories. I found it fascinating when I first read about it. Actually, I still do find it fascinating…just in a very different way.

I was surprised when Abstergo showed up at my door. Why would they want me? What was so important about my past? My bloodline? I couldn't understand…not for the longest time.

But the Animus has all the time in the world. I was pulled into a battle that started with the beginning of time. At the time I didn't even know about the Templars or the Assassins. I was just a girl who wanted adventure. I got it…

And I got everything I thought I wanted…and everything that came with it…

* * *

><p><strong>Tahira<strong>

"Tahira!" My head snapped up. It was never good when Tor was angry. It meant I'd done something wrong. "Pay attention! This is important!" he shouted.

I bowed my head, "I'm sorry, Teacher."

"I know you are worried, but you must pay attention!" he scolded. I looked up at him, intimidated.

"Tor, if I fail today, will you care?" I asked. I was serious, too. I usually was with him. He always earned it.

He stared at me for a long time and I noticed a muscle along his defined jawline twitch. His dark, piercing eyes—which I'd become so familiar after so many years—scanned my face. He crossed his arms over his chest, the golden collar he wore clinking.

"You have been my student for your entire life. I've taught you everything you know." He paused. "Don't die, or I'll kill you." He turned away from me. His strong back was tense.

I stood, a small smile on my lips. My extravagant headdress tinkled as I moved, the jewels shining in the hot Egyptian sun that streamed in from outside. The gold seemed to weigh me down more than usual. I touched Tor's muscled arm slightly. "Thank you," I said quietly. I turned away from him and took a deep breath. I stepped towards the door and took hold of the cool handle.

"Tahira," Tor said. I froze and slowly turned. When I saw his face, his gentle eyes surprised me. Where they were usually sharp and unforgiving, I saw what almost seemed like fondness. "Good luck."

I smirked, "You know I would never disappoint Queen Nefertiti."

* * *

><p><strong>Ebony<strong>

"Ah, coffee. Sometimes I stop and ask myself what my life would be like without it," I said, sighing lengthily.

"Do you talk to yourself often?" I jumped, spilling my energy-filled ambrosia all over the counter. I hastily yanked napkins from the dispenser and coated the counter top with them. The source of my problems—not my coffee, the guy!—helped me. Once I was sure my papers weren't in any imminent danger, I turned to look at my company.

He had wavy blond hair, clearly styled to look a bit messy, that fell over his forehead. He had piercing, ice-blue eyes. He was pretty much a model, to be honest. Is it bad that I forgave him for causing me to spill my coffee as soon as I saw his face? Yeah. Yeah, it probably was. Anyways, he was pretty much the opposite of me, with my dark black, straight hair, matching black eyes, and exotic, light brown skin.

He smiled at me and held out his hand, "I'm Tucker." English accent. Ok. Who _is _this guy, and why is he so _perfect_? I took his hand. "I'm your colleague." Well, that answers _that _question.

I nodded, shaking his hand slightly, "I'm Ebony." My hand slipped from his as he stared at me for a moment. I blinked, a little uncomfortable. "Um?" I asked.

He suddenly jerked back to life, holding up his hand, "I'm sorry, you're just really beautiful." Ooooooook. So, _that _happened. _I swear, when I tell El about this, she will never believe me. _I mean, model-hot, English accent.

I probably blushed a little. "Are you just trying to make up for my spilled coffee?" I asked. I glanced at the sopping wet napkins strewn about.

He shrugged, "I was just being honest, but that works, too."

I smiled, "You're forgiven." I grabbed the rest of the napkins and tossed them in the trash. I scooped up my papers. "Sorry, but I've got to get going. I have all these contracts to sign, though I don't know what any of them say."

I stared to walk around him when Tucker spoke up, "I suggest reading them…just so you know what you're getting into."

I paused and looked at him, raising an eyebrow. He just smiled and winked, "Welcome to Abstergo, Bennie." Something told me this guy was going to be a bit of a handful.

I left him in my dust and plopped down at the desk Anise had shown me to. It was all mine, and pretty nice. I couldn't believe I'd scored a job at _Abstergo_. It was awesome. Just a week ago I'd been freaking out over the Kenway project, marveling at how epic it all was. That was in France, though. This was LA, yet another major Abstergo HQ. It all felt like a dream.

I spun around once on my wonderfully comfy chair and then turned my attention to the contracts. The first line I scanned, on the very first contract, read as follows:

_Abstergo is not liable for any and all mental or physical side affects caused by overuse or misuse of the Animus._

Overuse? Misuse? Mental and physical side affects? That didn't sound so good. No wonder Tucker had told me to read them and not just sign my life away. That was when my doubts first started…

I didn't know it at the time, but somewhere deeply hidden inside my mind was the inkling that, maybe, I shouldn't have taken the job offer.

* * *

><p><strong>Tahira<strong>

I didn't take pride in any of it. I sat high above them on my—on _her_—golden throne. It shouldn't have been there, but I was. It was my responsibility. My duty. I didn't want it, though.

"Would you like another olive, My Queen?" I looked down at one of the slaves—he was gorgeous, of course, just as Nefertiti required—and frowned. He was spotless, muscular…there wasn't a flaw on his person.

"I am fine. You are relieved of your duties here," I said, imitating Nefertiti's voice exactly. Being trained as her facsimile, I'd perfected the reproduction of her every move.

"My Queen," Rahtep, Nefertiti's advisor, whispered in my ear. He was one of the few people allowed to know of my mission. "Do watch yourself. If you do not do your job, we will no longer have a use for you," he hissed. The guards stationed around me didn't hear him; he'd made sure of that. I forced my face to remain neutral. I'd never liked Nefertiti's vainness, nor her constant desire to surround herself with beautiful men. Still, I knew that my life depended on this job, and so I continued my regal impersonation.

"My mission is to protect our Queen. I would not allow myself to fail such an important task," I whispered back. Rahtep seemed satisfied and straightened again, crossing his arms over his chest. I stared forward, the extravagant beads that hung off of my dress swayed back and forth as our large boat rocked on the river's waves. I'd been assigned—more like forced—by Nefertiti herself to act as her double; I'd received similar missions before due to the fact that I looked almost exactly the same as her. I was sent in her place if her destination was considered relatively dangerous. If anyone died, it would be me and not her. She would be safe. I'd always secretly thought that she hated how I was just as beautiful as she was, and so she sent me to die in her place to rid the world of me…but that was just a distant suspicion, (not to mention blatant disrespect of the Queen that I dared not show).

"Be on guard!" Rahtep shouted to the men. He turned to me and put a hand on my throne, "The straits, my Queen. Danger, if anywhere, will be found here." I nodded subtly. Strangely enough, I found some thrill in my missions. I'd only once been forced to engage in battle, as I'd be trained to do by Tor, and it was against petty robbers. Part of me longed to be able to take advantage of my acquired talents. No warrior, however, lives without the fear of death.

The boat drifted silently along the river. It was strange how quiet it was. We were away from nearby towns, so it did make sense that there weren't people shouting as they went about their daily lives. The peculiar thing was that there wasn't any indication of waterfowl at all. That was my first warning. The second was that the papyrus that grew along the edge of the Nile was peculiarly uneven. I narrowed my eyes and watched silently.

"Rahtep," I said calmly, "Do you sense anything?"

"No, my Queen. All is well," he replied. I didn't trust that. My skin prickled.

I remained quiet, watching and waiting. I slowly rose from my throne, leaning forward. We drifted closer to the banks with every second that passed. A few moments later, the banks erupted into motion. The papyrus and riverweeds, once motionless, now collapsed beneath the feet of the men that burst from their cover. Shouts rang out along the riverside. My men reacted instantly, Rahtep grabbing my arm and yelling so that I could hear him, "Below deck!"

He pulled me away from the men that were leaping onto my ship. I watched them as they twisted and whirled through my soldiers, quickly and seemingly effortlessly eliminating them one by one. It looked almost like a dance, one that I found myself longing to join. I was mesmerized as my men's bodies fell to the deck. Rahtep yanked me away from the violence and glared at me, his eyes wild, "Below deck!" I scowled. It wasn't like his repeating the command made me want to obey him any more. Still, I followed his orders. Though I was acting as his queen, I was not Nefertiti…and Rahtep had more power than I did.

One of the remaining guards pried open the trap door that led to the limited area below the deck, where the slaves rowed. I swung myself through the opening, ripping off my headdress and rushing to the far side of the boat. Rahtep followed behind me, positioning himself in front of me, "Make this look real. I don't care about your life, but our enemies must think the Queen is dead. It will give her time to counter this."

I didn't question what he'd said; the adrenaline had overpowered my brain. The rest of the guards—only the four who had been positioned beside my throne—dropped down behind us. The last one yanked the door shut. I knew, however, that the men…whoever they were…had already seen us. They knew we—I—was on the ship, and they were coming for me. The hope that we would remain concealed was a vain one. I backed up as far as I could and faced the wall. I knew how to kill, but I was not yet used to seeing death…I knew what was coming and I didn't want that memory burned into my mind. The upper deck had been enough. My heart pounded. My palms sweated. I fought to keep my breath slow.

"Be read-" one of the guards began. He didn't have time to finish before I heard a sickening crunch and the thud of what I presumed was his body hitting the ground. The sound of a battle followed as my guards charged forward. I didn't dare turn around. It was only a few seconds before all noise ceased. The slaves that lined either side of the ship were silent, most likely for fear of their lives.

"Only a fool would attack the Queen of Egypt," Rahtep spat. I slowly turned and saw the four dead bodies of my guards sprawled out on the ground. Rahtep stood protectively in front of me, his hand on his blade. Three men stood before us. I stared at them. They were wearing rugged, dirtied clothes, adorned with many types of weapons. I couldn't see their faces; hoods hid their identities. The two on either side hung back, but the man who stood in the middle stepped forward.

"Only a fool would raise his blade against me," he said, his voice calm and steady. I looked down to see that Rahtep had begun to draw his sword.

"What makes you think you won't die for this?" Rahtep asked smugly.

"I would gladly die for my cause," he said, "But not until my work is done."

"You work? Tell me, _Assassin_," Rahtep growled, "What exactly _is _your work?" Assassin? Did that mean they were here to kill me? I'd had my suspicions, but my heart dropped when I heard the word.

The assassin was silent for a moment, then he spoke, "You truly wish to know?"

Rahtep's eyes narrowed, "Do _you _truly wish to be an enemy to the Queen?" I clenched my fists. Whoever these men were, they were definitely dangerous and _definitely _not going to spare anyone.

The assassin sighed, "I am already an enemy to the Queen." I watched as, without hesitation, the assassin's arm shot forward and collided with Rahtep's chest. I was confused as to why Rahtep's face paled until I noticed that there was a blade attached to the man's arm. Blood leaked down Rahtep's front. My eyes went wide and I turned around quickly. I had to prepare myself.

I heard Rahtep cough, and when he spoke his voice was raspy, "Then you are doomed."

The silence that followed was deafening and suffocating. I wasn't going to miss Rahtep, but I still felt my heart twist. The silence was broken by the assassin's footsteps. I slowly drew the knife that was hidden at my hip. I felt warmth up and down my back as the man came to stand directly behind me. My skin tingled. "I won't lie. I fear death," I said, finding my courage. I was strong, and I knew that. Tor had taught me that.

"That's very honest," he whispered. I felt his breath on my neck and I shivered.

"A woman should die with honor if she must die at all," I said. I tightened my grip on my knife. It was my lifeline. My hope.

"I have no intention of killing you, Nefertiti. Not yet," he said.

"I doubt your words," I hissed. He chuckled and it angered me more. "And I said 'if.'"

"And?" he asked, amusement in his voice.

"And I have no intention of dying here," I said. Without giving him a second to react, I spun around and brought the knife down on him. He blocked my arm with his. I was caught off guard by his reflexes. I pushed down as hard as I could, but he was stronger than me and the knife was only getting farther away from him. I had one choice. I dropped the knife and caught it with my other hand. He leapt backwards just before I managed to stab him.

The two men behind my target started forward, but he held up his hand. "Don't worry. She's just a woman," he said. I growled and launched at him.

"Don't look down on me…" I said in between attacks. I lunged at him from his left, but he parried me and pushed me back. He didn't even allow me the dignity of injury, merely pushing me away each time as if I weren't worth a punch. "…Because I'm a woman!" I shouted. I quickly swiped my blade forward and, to his surprise, a thin line of blood dripped down his cheek. He slowly reached up and touched his cheek. He stared at his fingers when they came away with blood.

He looked up at me and stepped closer, quickly grabbing the knife out of my hand in one fluid motion. I stood tall, my muscles tensed for action. "Go ahead, snap my neck. It doesn't matter either way. You won't get what you want from me," I said.

As he got closer to me, I noticed that most of his face was covered with a black cloth. I could still see his eyes, though. They were so dark that they seemed black. They were narrow and seemed to hint at untold mysteries. I could see his subtle annoyance and anger at my being able to cut him reflected there. "You've been trained," he said. He tossed the knife aside and it clattered to the ground, "Not well, but there is some semblance of skill within you."

"I would commit suicide before I let you kill me," I growled. His eyes sparkled with amusement. "I know that Anubis will not give _my_ soul to Ammit. I cannot say the same for yours."

The man placed his hand on my cheek and I glared at him. I noticed how gently he touched me…it was as if he hadn't just engaged in battle with me. Somehow that only angered me further. "Who said anything about killing?" he asked. His thumb stroked my cheek, and, for a moment, something softened within me. That hope, if I can call it that, suddenly vanished when I felt a sharp pain in my temple. I blacked out.


	2. Chapter 2

**Ebony**

I sighed as I shut off the Animus. I had a pretty bad headache. I hadn't realized that using the Animus was so exhausting until I had to do it to earn a living. I rubbed my temples and then the obnoxious beeping started. I whirled around and tapped the blinking green symbol on my screen.

"Hello?" I asked.

"Bennie, I need your body." I blinked and withdrew the phone from my ear. I took a few seconds the process what had just been said in a gorgeous English accent and then put the phone back to my ear.

"Excuse me?" I asked.

"Look, I know it's not really my place to ask considering we just met, but I _really _need your help."

"Tucker, right?" I asked.

"Well, of course. Last I checked I was the only guy with an accent in this office," he said, "I'm a bit hurt you didn't recognize my voice, Love."

"How do you expect me to recognize your voice? I'm not that observant," I said, tapping at my keyboard. Man, I had a lot of work to do.

"I figured you would because you fell in love with me at first sight," he said with a small laugh.

"Uh huh. Right. You keep telling yourself that…so, what do you need?" I asked.

"I knew you would ask! I'm totally wrapped up here…I've got a ton of work to do. Would you be a dear and tell Anise I'm in desperate need of that tech check-up?"

"And you can't just send her an email because…"

"Well, why do you think I need a tech check-up?" he asked. I nodded.

"Right, duh. I was just about to go hunting for aspirin anyway, so I'll stop by Anise on the way."

"Aspirin?" he asked.

"Yeah. I've just got a headache is all."

"Mm. That'll go away after a while."

"Huh?"

"You'll only get headaches for the first few days. It's a side effect of the Animus. After that, you'll be alright," he said. His voice got softer, "You'll be fine."

I smiled, a bit happy that he cared…at least a little, "Thanks for the tip. I've got to go. I'll talk to you later."

"Bye, Bennie." The nickname was really starting to stick. I spun around on my chair and hauled myself to my feet. I stretched my arms above my head and headed for the elevator. I watched as the floor number continually ticked down. When the doors finally slid open, I stepped out and almost ran directly into someone.

"Oh, sorry," I said instantly, backing up. I clutched my tablet to my side and smiled. The guy who I'd just nearly slammed into had thick glasses and a hat that covered most of his forehead on. Curly brown hair peeked out beneath his black hat. He shook his head at me a slid past. The elevator door shut and he was long gone without a word.

"Nice meeting you, too," I mumbled and I went on my way. Anise's office wasn't far, so I was there within a couple minutes.

I knocked on the door as I stepped inside. "Anise, got a minute?" I asked. She looked up, her short red hair falling over her forehead. She pointed to the phone and held up a finger, mouthing the words 'one sec' to me. I nodded and sat down on one of her armchairs. I glanced around the office awkwardly.

"Yeah, yeah, I _know_, Marty. I know that! But-" She sounded annoyed. There was a pause. "There isn't much I can do…" she said, rubbing her forehead angrily. I stared at the picture of her and her fiancé on her desk. She looked happy, a stark contrast to how she looked now.

"Well, she's right here, so I'll talk to her now," Anise said, glancing up at me. I raised an eyebrow. Anise nodded, "Alright, I'll get back to you." Anise set her phone down.

"Talk to me about what?" I asked curiously.

"You're getting great stuff…" Anise said, picking up her pen and twisted it around between her fingers. She hesitated.

"_And_?"

"_And_…you need to work faster," Anise said. She set her pen down. I leaned forward.

"Work faster?" She nodded. "I'm already practically frying my brains trying to get what I've gotten, and you want me to work _faster_?" I asked.

Anise nodded, "I know, I know. I resisted it as much as I could, but his word is absolute. Apparently he wants to stress your whole Egypt angle more. He's intrigued…which is a _good _thing. Before you know it, you'll be a big shot here. You wouldn't normally have this much on your shoulders, but I guess your case is special…"

I sighed, "Alright…I'll work harder. I just hope my head doesn't explode."

Anise smiled, "Thanks. You've really saved me on this one. Thank god you didn't turn out to be like Altman."

I blinked blankly, confused. "Oh, I thought you'd met him. Tucker Altman. He's infamous for his underachieving work ethic. It really takes years off of my life span."

My eyebrows shot up, "Oh, yeah I met him. But…Tucker? He's a bad employee?"

Anise shook her head, "The opposite, actually. Unfortunately for me, he's a genius. I can't fire him…that's how good he is. He's pretty much the hot-shot around here. He's just irresponsible."

I nodded, "I'm surprised to hear that."

Anise sighed, "Not to mention that he's gorgeous."

I frowned, "And he knows it."

"But that can be a good thing."

I shook my head, "Anyway, speaking of Tucker…he said that he needs a tech check-up ASAP. He's got a lot of work to do, so he sent me."

"Lazy as ever? Well, at least he's doing work. Work that he shouldn't have left for three days before his deadline, but work nonetheless. I'll send Russell up, then. Anything else?"

"Nope…I'm just off to get something for my headache…then it's back to work for me," I said, standing up and heading for the door, "Thanks, Anise."

"Hey, I'm on your side!" she called after me as I left her office.

"I know!" I called back.

* * *

><p><strong>Tahira<strong>

My senses returned to me one by one. I tasted iron, but my mind was so groggy that it took me a few moments to realize that it was blood that I tasted. I smelled something intoxicating, and felt my stomach growl. How long had I been unconscious? I was already this hungry, so it must have been a few days. I heard footsteps. They sounded close, and I could tell by the acoustics that the room was small, but relatively empty. Tor had trained me well.

I slowly eased my eyes open. My vision was alarmingly blurry at first, but I managed to focus it. Only a couple candles on a small table lit the room. The source of the intoxicating smell was the food, (meat), which sat on the table next to the candles. I could make out the silhouette of a man who stood a ways away from the table, his back to me. Once the initial numbness passed, the splitting pain I'd been anticipating hit me.

I hissed and tried to sit farther upright, but my hands were tied behind my back. The man turned around when he heard me. He walked closer to me, into the candlelight. "Queen Nefertiti," he said. His voice sounded kind.

As he got closer, I could make out more of his features. He didn't wear the hood that adorned his clothes, so I was able to see his face. He had warm brown eyes and surprisingly light skin for someone who lived in Egypt. He was young, no older than sixteen. He wore the same garb that my assailants had, which confirmed my suspicions: the very same people who'd boarded my transport ship had captured me. The man who I'd cut must have knocked me out. That was why my head hurt.

"Who are you?" I growled, channeling enough malice as possible into my words. At least I didn't have a gag on.

"Easy now. I'm going to get that blood off of your face," he said. He stepped towards me and I stiffened. He raised his hands, "Calm down, I won't hurt you." He smiled. I found it strange that my enemy was being so kind to me in what was clearly a hostile situation. I found it suspicious to say the least.

I glared at him as he slowly leaned forward and reached for something on the ground. I looked down to see a bucket of water with a rag in it. I watched silently as he wrung the wet rag off. He gently tilted my head up with his forefinger and brought the rag down on my temple. I flinched at its coldness.

He smiled, "Sorry, I can't help how cold the water is, but if I don't clean your wound, it'll get infected."

I nodded slowly, "You didn't answer my question."

"My name...Osaze," he said, "But that's all I can tell you."

"How long was I unconscious?" I asked.

He wet the cloth again, "Only a day, but we were starting to get worried."

"Worried?" I asked, surprised that he—they—would care about me.

"We didn't get any information from you. If you're going to die, Azim prefers that you do it after he learns what he wants know," Osaze said.

I don't know why I kept letting these people in. I kept experiencing brief moments when I thought more of them than I should have. I vowed to keep that from happening again. I forced my face to remain neutral.

Osaze smiled and dropped the rag in the bucket. He took a step back and grinned, "You're much prettier without blood all over your face."

Just then, the door in the corner of the room slammed open, "Osaze! What have you told her?!" The voice was familiar. I watched intently to see if I would get the chance to see the face that matched the voice.

A man walked in, followed by another. "What have you told her?" the man repeated, looking at Osaze. He had short black hair and a strong, slim build. His stance revealed the power he held, both over the others in the room and in his own, muscled body. I watched him sharply, making note of his every move.

"I didn't tell her anything, Azim," Osaze replied quickly, "You told me not to."

"You are young," Azim answered, "You make mistakes." Osaze nodded. Azim turned his attention to me. I'd been staring at him the entire time, not even bothering to make note of the man behind him. That went against my training. Tor had taught me to know my enemies by heart before I fight them; he taught me to analyze them in a matter of seconds and apply my knowledge to my battles. I could read Osaze, but Azim…

"Queen Nefertiti," Azim said, stepping closer. He leaned forward, bringing his face close to mine.

"You," I growled. I recognized his eyes. They were the same black, abyssal eyes that belonged to my attacker. I maintained eye contact, unafraid.

"Me," he said, running his fingers along my face. He sighed and straightened, "You remember me, then?"

"Is that your less-than-subtle way of asking me whether you caused me amnesia?"

"I wasn't trying to be subtle," he said with a grin. His smile stirred something in me. It's hard to place what it was…but I couldn't help but notice the exact shape of his lips when he smiled. I shifted uncomfortably. "It's a shame I had to ruin your pretty little face," he said.

"Like you care," I spat.

"Azim, she needs food," Osaze said hesitantly. I fought the feeling in my stomach. I really was starving, and didn't want to show my weakness. I had never gone very long without food, growing up in a relatively rich family.

"Food can wait," he said, holding up his hand, "She'll be more willing to talk if she's weak."

"It will take more than a little hunger to weaken me," I said, closing my eyes.

"I'm sure," he said, circling me. I listened to his footsteps. He took a few steps back and leaned against the table. "So tell me, Nefertiti, what's your intent behind this Aten cult?"

I chuckled and opened my eyes, "You think I'll tell you?"

"Yes," he replied honestly.

I shook my head, "You kill my men, my advisor, knock me out and kidnap me, and expect me to spill all of my deepest secrets?" I really hadn't the slightest idea what the 'Aten cult' was, but he thought I did. I might as well have a little fun with him. This man seemed like he could use some condescension. No one can survive life and escape any opposition.

"Everyone gives in once and a while," he said.

I sighed, "Are you their leader?"

"You could say that," he said, leaning back. He looked down and picked up one of the pieces of meat from what should have been my plate. He took a bite of it, maintaining eye contact with me the entire time. I looked away, flexing my abs to suppress the growl that I felt coming.

"I'll give you this if you tell me what I want to know," he said. I looked back at him.

"Just give it to me now," I said.

"Not as strong as you thought? Tell me what I want to know."

"I can't," I said, keeping eye contact. I felt myself being drawn in by his eyes again.

"Then you can't have any of this," he said.

I hated my stomach. It ended my game. "You don't understand. I _can't_ tell you what you want to know…because I don't know anything either."

"What are you talking about?" he asked, "Of course you know. You started…" His voice drifted off and I could see realization creep into his dark eyes.

I sighed, "My name is Tahira, not Nefertiti. I don't know what you want with her, but you chose the wrong time to try and kidnap her." There was a brief silence. "I guess she outsmarted you."

"You're not Nefertiti!?" Azim bellowed. He lunged forward and backhanded me. I cried out and tasted blood…again.

"No! You failed!" I screamed back. "Some leader you are!"

"Shut up, girl!" he yelled. His eyes pierced me and, for the first time, they scared me. I shivered under his glare and shrunk back. Perhaps I'd gone too far. I regretted my words in that moment, as he stared at me with hate-filled eyes.

Azim breathed heavily and turned away from me, "Kill her. We have no use for her if she has no information." He took a step towards the door.

"Wait, Azim! Do we really have to kill her? Why can't we just let her go, she hasn't done anyth-"

"Silence, Osaze. She knows what information we seek. If we let her go, she will return to Nefertiti and warn her. Kill her and be done with it," he said sternly, in control of his emotions again.

Osaze sighed and took a step towards me. I readied myself. There was no way I was going to die without a fight. When Osaze was about a foot from me, my legs shot forward, kicked his hands aside, and wrapped tightly around his neck. He apparently hadn't expected me to attack him. I could tell that he'd been trained, but he hadn't anticipated my quick motion. I pulled him close to me and squeezed his neck tightly between my thighs.

"Azim!" Osaze choked out, grabbing my legs and attempting to pry them off. I refused to feel guilty; he'd helped me, but he was still one of them. The other man, the one who had silently been standing in the corner with his black hood on, immediately moved forward, looking for an opening. I kept Osaze in front of me, angling his body with my legs so that the stranger couldn't get close.

"I will snap this boy's neck!" I screamed. Azim froze and slowly turned to look at me.

"You are not a killer," he said, but I could detect a small doubt in his voice and in those eyes. If I wanted to, I could have easily killed Osaze. I'd been trained, and my legs were strong enough to twist and crack his neck.

"Are you sure? Choose wisely what your next move is. It could cost you," I said. I squeezed tighter and Osaze's grip on my legs loosened. His face was probably turning purple now. My head was starting to hurt again, but I held on. My wrists stung and the chair was digging into my back, but I held on. The guilt that I'd denied myself was fighting to break free, but I held on.

"Let go of him!" Azim shouted.

"Let me live," I replied. I wasn't ready to die. I had to see Tor again, to tell him about this. I had to tell him that I used his training well. He probably thought I was dead…actually, in a few moments I might be.

"You're going to kill him," he said, his eyes flitting down to Osaze and then back up to mine, "Ask yourself if you can live with that."

A sharp pain stabbed my heart. I didn't really want to kill Osaze. He'd been kind to me. I fought a war within myself. I'd told myself not to let these people in. They were evil…why couldn't my heart understand that!? I stared into Azim's eyes. He was watching and waiting for my decision.

"Ta…hira." Osaze's choking voice broke me. I screamed in outrage and kicked Osaze forward.

"Damnit!" I raged. Osaze collapsed to the ground and coughed. The stranger who didn't show his face rushed forward and put a hand on Osaze's shoulder. Osaze nodded and coughed some more. Color returned to Osaze's face and I frowned. I let my one chance of getting out of here alive go…because he cleaned some blood off of my face. I wish he'd been more evil. I might've survived if he'd been cruel.

The man whose face was still hidden stood and lunged at me. I flinched away, confused, but Azim grabbed him, pulling him back. "Nadir, stop," he ordered, "She let him live!"

Nadir didn't say anything, but he relaxed and eased away. Nadir knelt beside Osaze again and helped him to his feet. Osaze looked at me and…he smiled. I looked away, a little ashamed. I shouldn't have been ashamed, though. He was evil, wasn't he? I guess I just couldn't see him that way because he had been so _kind_. I don't have a problem with killing, but something within me had forced me not to kill him.

"Get him out of here," Azim said. Nadir obeyed and immediately led Osaze out. He shut the door behind them. I stared up at Azim.

"You're going to kill me?" I asked, "I don't blame you. It seems everyone wants me dead these days."

"Hm?"

"You have no shortage of allies, do you, Azim?" I asked, "I only have one." I smiled, suddenly struck by the full extent of how miserable I was. I licked my bleeding lip.

"Nefertiti?" Azim asked.

I scoffed, "Who do you think sent me on this suicide mission?" I shook my head, "No, not her. My teacher."

Azim took a few steps toward me and knelt before me, "There's a spark in you." I didn't move, just stared at him. He looked up at me, but I couldn't read his eyes.

"Sometimes I doubt that," I said, "So…go ahead."

"Do you want to die?" Azim asked.

"What kind of question is that?" I asked.

"Do you?" he asked. He leaned closer to me. I stared at him silently. Something collapsed in me. To my surprise, I felt a hot tear slide down my cheek. I moved to hide it from him, but he forced me to look at him, placing his hand on my cheek. He wiped my tear away. "Tahira," he said quietly.

I stopped breathing for a moment and then shook my head. My voice broke, "I thought I told you. I fear death."

I closed my eyes. "I've decided to trust you. I apologize for my outburst, but contrary to your belief, we've suffered many casualties recently. I _do _have a shortage of allies. I know that's no excuse."

I opened my eyes to see his face right in front of mine. His endless eyes were even more striking this close. "You could be useful yet," he said, nodding, "So…"

"I'll live?" I asked.

He smiled and stood up, "You need to be trained further. I'll speak to you soon." He leaned close to me, so close that I could feel his warmth and inhale his scent. He smelled of spices. He cut my bindings and I sighed in relief. He pulled away and a rush of unexpected cold air greeted me. He turned and quickly approached the door. Right before he disappeared, I called out.

"Wait, Azim. Why are you…"

He froze and turned to look at me for one last moment. He stared and then he shut the door and vanished without another word.


End file.
